He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas, where James began playing with local dance bands.
He joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935 but at the start of 1937, left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941. He toured with the band into the 1980s.
His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich.
He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
He was second only to Glenn Miller as the most successful recording artist of 1942.
James was married three times. On May 4, 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1943. That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time in 1968 to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.
James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse."
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at the Bunkers Eden Vale Memorial Park in Las Vegas.
All Or Nothing At All
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall
And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow
So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all
The lyrics of Harry James & His Orchestra's song "All or Nothing at All" is a stirring tale of a person who understands what they want out of love: nothing less than everything. The persona is in a precarious emotional position as they want all or nothing. Half measures will not do. They sing of how half a love can never appeal to them, and if the person's heart would never yield to them, they would rather have nothing. This position is intense as they want the entirety of someone's affection, and if they cannot have that, they would rather not engage with them at all.
The persona notes that love is an all or nothing affair, that there is no "in-between" for them. They express their reluctance to start something that would only end in tears for something they wish they had but could not attain. In the chorus, they continue to note their preference for nothing over half-hearted feelings; they rather not engage in a relationship where the other person is not all in. Nonetheless, they are aware of their vulnerability to the other person's charms, asking them not to bring their lips too close to their cheek, as they know that could lead to them being "lost beyond recall."
The song's lyrics are poetic and describe the struggle of the persona to find their way in a relationship. They are aware of what they want, but they are also aware of the danger of falling for something they cannot have. The song's narrative is relatable, as it speaks to the complexities of falling in love and wanting someone who may not feel the same way.
Line by Line Meaning
All or nothing at all
I cannot settle for anything less than complete devotion.
Half a love, never appealed to me
I cannot be satisfied with a love that is only partially given.
If your heart, never could yield to me
If you are unable to fully open your heart to me.
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would rather have nothing than a love that is half-hearted or unrequited.
If it's love, there is no in between
Love is an all or nothing proposition; there is no middle ground.
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
It is better to not start a love affair that has no future, rather than regret it later.
No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would rather have no love than a love that is not genuine.
But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't play with me by giving me mixed signals of affection.
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
I cannot resist your charm and would be swept away by it.
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your physical touch and gestures of affection have a strong effect on me.
And my heart may go dizzy and fall
I may become emotionally overwhelmed and lose control.
And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
If I became enchanted by your voice.
I would be, caught in the undertow
I would be unable to resist your pull and would be swept away.
So you see, I've got to say no, no
I am forced to say no to your advances to protect myself from being hurt.
All or nothing at all
I cannot settle for anything less than complete devotion.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LordFrancisco1000
All or nothing at all
Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather, rather have nothing at all
I said all, nothing at all
If it's love, there ain't no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No, I'd rather, rather have nothing at all
Hey, please don't bring your lips close to my cheek
Don't you smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes and the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart, it may go dizzy and fall
And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be, be caught in the undertow
Well, you see, I've got to say no, no, no
All or nothing at all
And if I fell, fell under the spell of your call
Don't you know I would be caught in the undertow
So, you see, I've got to say no, no, or
Or nothing at all, or
Or nothing at all
@aisforamerica2185
I enjoy Frank, but I think I enjoy him most in his early days...there's nothing quite like that youthful voice behind the 1940s fuzzy audio!
@monicabella7894
Simply the truth
@lrn_news9171
I agree. Sinatra from early 1940s to 1946 was unbeatable
@zackb161
The Voice!
@princesskagome23
Completely agree
@stefanschutz5166
Later he become vulgar.
@century123ful
Young Frank Sinatra showed why, in this memorable recording, he was destined to become the best popular singer of all time. I still have the original recording and treasure it along with his many other great recordings throughout his lifetime.
@kristinehatkinson7323
Amen. I think his best of all time.
@bradhuskers
Elvis presley had a richer more complex tone.
And elvis's soul depth and diversity destroys frank.
@bradhuskers
@monica bella
Only in your low IQ reality.
Elvis's soul depth and diversity destroys frankie.
No contest.